Folding booth.



E. J. DOUGLAS.

FOLDING BOOTH.

APPLIUATLON FILED JULY e, 1912.

1,071,896, Patented sept. 2, 1913.

Unire ELIZABETH J. DOUGLAS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING BOOTH.

.71o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELrzABE'ri-I J. DOUGLAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Booths, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to collapsible booths adapted for use as voting booths or for any similar use; and relates particularly to certain improvements in and to the invention for which Letters Patent #828935 was issued August 21st, 1906 to Albert L. Johnson and myself.

The prime object of the present invention is the provision of a collapsible or folding booth structure which will stand on and about a single vertical standard, forming a plurality of private voting compartments tl'iereabout, and folding up against this standard to make a flat member of a minin mum length.

There are several advantages of my present construction; prime among which are the simplicity of manufacture and operation of setting up, the small number of parts required, and the general e'tlieiency of the booth in that a maximum number of compartments are provided with a minimum complication of structure. In addition to these prime features, there are several subsidiary features which I will explain in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective showing my improved booth partly set up. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same showing the booth completely set up. Fig. 3 is a detail section taken as indicated by lines 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 a detail perspective showing one method of securing parts of the structure together. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective showing another method of securing parts of the structure together. Fig. G is a detail section taken as indicated by line 6-() on Fig. 1, illustrating the brace construction in the lower part of my structure.

In the drawings 10 designates an upright standard which is preferably made in cruciform section, as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2; affording four diti'erent longitudinal vertical flanges to which the various folding parts of the structure may be attached. This uprightl standard may be somewhat over three feet in length, providing for a total height of the booths of about six feet.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, .1.913.

sei-iai No. 708,120.

Standard 10 is supported at its lower end by four legs 11 which are slidably pivoted at 12 to the lower end of the standard, one of the legs being secured to each of the [langes of the staiulard. A suitable rivet 12 is secured in the flange and a slot 13 in the upper end of the leg engages the rivet, so that the leg may be moved longitudinally as well as moved pivotally. This provides that the diagonal end 14 of each leg may be thrown against one of the flange bases of the standard so as to prevent further outward spreading of the legs. The legs are braced together by suitable braces which extend diametrieally across from one leg to the opposite leg, the preferred form of bracmg being shown in Figs. 1 and G. A single bar or strip 15 is pivoted at 1G to one of the legs and hooks over a headed rivet 17 at the other end. For the other two legs there are two brace pieces 1S which hook over the single brace 1o as is shown in Figs. 1 and 6. These braces prevent the legs from spreading; and it will be seen that braces lie in the plane of the legs themselves, so that the braces and legs all lie directly beneath the upper curtain arms 20; and the compartments formed between these upper curtain arms will not be obstructed below by any braces or legs projecting into the compartment spaces. Curtain arms 2() are pivoted at 21 to the upper end of standard 10 and normally extend horizontally outward as is shown in Fig. 1. These curtain arms are of any convenient length and are supported by suitable braces 22. Braces 22 are preferably permanently pivoted at. Q3 to the standard and engaged with the arms Q0 in any suitable releasable manner. I have shown in Fig. l1 detail of the connection of these braces 22 with arms 20 comprising a keyhole slot 23 in the arms engageable with headed rivets 4t on the ends of the braces. But I may use a construction similar to Fig. 5 in place of this construction if so desired.

I provide four separate curtains 3() which are provided with suitable hooks 3l, somewhat after the manner of a Pullman curtain, and each curtain hangs over the arms 20 in such manner as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends of the curtains coming together at 39. where they can be separated for entry into the booths or compartments thus formed. The shape of the compartments will be understood from the showing of Fig. 9.. The hooks 3l directly support the portions of the curtains which are adjacent the arms 20; and the outermost hooks 31 engage in notches 31a in the arms to prevent the hooks sliding inwardly along the arms, The remaining curtainrportion is supported byV having the upper edge stretched more or less tightly between theouter ends ofthe arms 20; the hooks 31 (shown farthest to the right in Figs 1) and the hook 31b hold-` ing this portion of the curtain to the arms. In each of the compartments thus formed there is supported a suitable member 35. This table member has a suitable hook 36 on one corner which hooks through aperture 37 in oneof the flanges of the upright "stand"- fard 10. The outer end of the table is sup'- ported, one corner by a strap 38 which is pivoted at 39 to the arm 2O and which en= gages with the table member 35 in amarrner similar to that shown in Fig. 5, the lower end of the strap being provided lwith a hook 40 adapted to engage a headed rivet 41 on th'e`ltable'-member. The o'uter edge corner of the table is supported in asimilar member by the strap 38a lwhich engages a similar rivet on the table member in a similar manner. The remaining corner of the table is supported by a support 381J which is pivoted at 39h to the standard 10 andeng-ages the table in the manner shown in Fig. 5. This makes the table members completely removable from the device.

l/Vhen the booth has been usedand it is desired vto collapsefand paclrit, it is only necessary to remove the table and then to remove the curtain. The braces 22 may be released from the arms 20, the braces and arms both being folded forwardly against the standard 10. The braces 15 and 18 of the legs are released and folded slightly against the legs, the legs are then pulled downwardly and outwardly so that theV upper ends of slots 13 will be engaged with rivets 12, when the legs may be turned upwardly to lie flatly against the standard 10. When this is done a bundle of pieces slightly more than three feet in length is had of the structural Vparts of the device. -The table members are relatively narrow and do not form a large bundle. The curtains may be Wrapped into comparatively small bundles and the whole structure may thenbe placed in a box or case ready for shipping.

Having described my invention, I claim; 1. A device of the` character described,

comprising a single upright standard, bot-V tom support and' braces therefor, a plurality of outwardly extending arms foldingly attachedto the upper end .ofthe standard, folding braces forthe arms, the arms being arranged symmetrically with relation to the vertical standard axis, a plurality of table members, one for each of said arms,'each table member being supported at one corner by attachmentto the upright standard and being arranged with one of its edges under and substantially parallel toits correspond-n 4' ing arm, a depending supporting strap at` tached to each arm and attached to the edge of the table member beneath, and diagonally arranged straps attached to the respective arms Aand to the upright support and at-` tached to and supporting the opposite edges of the corresponding table members.V

2. A device of the character described, comprising single upright standard, bottom support and braces therefor, a plurality Y of outwardly extending arms foldingly at; tache'd to the upper end of the standard, folding braces for the arms, the arms being arranged symmetrically with relation to the vertical standard axis, a plurality n of table members, one for each of said Y Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commlssioner-of Patents, Washington, C. 

